War of the Roses is a game I desperately want to like more than I do. It's the end product of so many high-quality pieces, but unfortunately it fails to really pull everything together.

If nothing else, the game certainly captures the dumb, single-minded spirit of the films. I'm not a fan of the series, but I did have fun with Redemption, despite its total lack of depth. For a while, that is.

There aren't a lot of nice things to say about the single-player experience, which fails to deliver on multiple fronts. Still, if you want to check out one of the best multiplayer experiences the Xbox 360 has to offer, look no further.

It's got its love/hate bits like every other entry in the franchise, but the bite-sized level maps, bulk of content, and portability of this version make it a decent purchase choice.

Keep in mind that this isn't an everyman's game -- its linear levels, the absence of bundles of loot, and even the quirks of its combat whittle down its potential audience -- but there's a lot to love about how this RPG sings the glories of the underdogs.

An excellent example of a "slacker" game: it gets as little done as it can while making sure it fills its quota so it can be out the door for the day. There isn't a thing new here and it makes no attempt to improve the genre.

Crappy story and occasional boring moments aside, Bionic Commando is a good game, akin to a summer popcorn flick. It won't stick with you, but it'll certainly entertain you. When the action amps up it feels awesome; it's just too bad that those moments couldn't have comprised the game's entirety.

If you can find the '01 Rugby on a "used" rack, I'd pick it up before this one; it doesn't accurately emulate as many aspects of the sport, but it's a better video game.

A surprising number of serious bugs damage what is otherwise a highly addictive game.

The game is serviceable if not stellar and comes packed with plenty of extras designed to make fans of the franchise drop dead from sheer joy.

While longtime Tony Hawk fans may be initially turned off by the simplified controls, they'll still likely appreciate the nostalgic feel of the game.

If a little more focus had been placed on adding depth to the game, 187 could have been a solid title for Ubisoft. Instead, comical use of lingo and the otherwise average presentation make 187 Ride or Die feel more like a poser than a player.

It features some excellent graphics and audio production, as well as some of the best voiceover work to date. However, this can't make up for the frustrating gameplay, which tries to focus on stealth, combat, and platforming, yet doesn't manage to do any of these particularly well.

If the concept of a samurai in cowboy country is that appealing to you, scrounge up a copy of "Rising Zan: Samurai Gunman" for PSone. Its gameplay, graphics, and camera are by no means better, but at least it embraces the setting for all its worth, and even gives the main character a kick-ass theme song!

You'd have more fun watching both movies than playing this game.

Big Brain scores points for its friendly and colorful art style and variety of activities, and there a lot of reasons prospective students will want to enroll. The problem is there's not much to keep you from dropping out after a few days.

Won't hold up to extended play anyway because of the too-small question set. It's a shame; it's a well put-together game otherwise.

And if you've ever owned a dog, you're sure to get at least a laugh or two from the game's interpretation of how our four-legged friends view the world we live in.

With limited customization available for riders (only eight!) a lack of any real explanation on how to actually play the game, a non-existent soundtrack (exactly how many hours of "vroom, vroom, vroom, screeeech, crash" can a person be expected to take?), and a limited sense of fun that other racing games like SSX and BurnOut (or even Forza 2) excel at, MotoGP 07 is a serious, hardcore game that demands a high skill level and a certain amount of earnestness from its players.

The uninspired combat and backtracking may put you off, but the game's unique story and premise make Contact well worth experiencing.

If there's one thing that should have been fixed with the expansion and wasn't, it's the map and quest marking system. The mini-map in the corner is still fine, but the map screen is so useless, it actually takes away from the fun of the game.

If you can't get enough Portable Ops online, Ops + is just about worth it for the extra character limit. For everyone else, save those pennies and dimes for MGS4.

The plot jumps around too much to be coherent, most boss battles aren't captivating, and some stages drag on far too long. Origins sags with plenty of problems, but it's still a cut above most Hollywood-licensed pap.

Star Wars: Lethal Alliance does little to differentiate itself from the herd of third-person action games on PlayStation Portable. The Star Wars inclusion is too subtle to be considered a benefit and the action is ho-hum.

Although it takes a little bit of time to adjust to the sluggish controls, the game still delivers a solidly entertaining experience.

A disappointment. It completely breaks with the first game in everything but gameplay, and even that is sabotaged by annoying, repetitive level design.

If you're going for sheer quality, the PSP version of Cars is the best of the handheld games based on the movie.

If you're a hardcore Sims 2 fan and you've greedily gobbled up all the expansions to date, Pets is a great way to give your neighborhood some variety. For players who are just coming into the game fresh, though, the other expansions provide a lot more substance.